In Estonia in the 1930s, the influence of the fascist Vaps movement began to grow rapidly. The League of Veterans of the War of Independence (Vaps) was founded in 1929. The conflict of 1918-1920 was called the "War of Liberation" in Estonia, when Estonian nationalists and the White Guard Northern Corps (then the Northwest Army), with the support of Britain, fought against the Red Army. The war ended with the Tartu Peace Agreement.
At the heart of the League were former and active military, dissatisfied with the policy of the government. The leaders of the nationalist organization were retired Major General Andres Larka, and Reserve Junior Lieutenant Arthur Sirk. The Vaps generally borrowed their agenda and slogans from similar movements in Finland and Germany. Estonian nationalists advocated the elimination of all political, economic and cultural rights of national minorities. They took anti-Soviet and anti-communist positions. In foreign policy, they focused on Germany. The organization demanded radical changes in the political structure of the republic.
In the conditions of an intensifying economic crisis, which led to an exacerbation of internal political life, the Movement strengthened its position and twice (in 1932 and 1933) the people rejected the draft of a new constitution proposed by the State Assembly in referendums. At the same time, in 1933, the draft of the new Estonian constitution, proposed by the Vaps, which introduced an authoritarian regime, was supported in a referendum (56%) of the votes. The movement also won the 1934 municipal elections. Further, the nationalists planned to obtain a majority in parliament and the post of head of state (state elder).
Vaps Union Symbol
The leader of the nationalists A. Larka with members of the Union of Veterans perform the Roman salute, 1934. Source:
To avoid the seizure of power by the Vaps, as well as a possible civil war (the position of the left was strong in the country) and the centrists, the leader of the Agrarian Party and head of government Konstantin Päts, with the help of the commander-in-chief of the Estonian armed forces, General Johan Laidoner, carried out a coup d'etat on March 12, 1934. Päts introduced an authoritarian regime and a state of emergency in the country. Päts became President-Regent of Estonia. The head of state banned the Vaps Movement, their leaders (Larka and Sirk) and activists were arrested; banned all parties, meetings and demonstrations, introduced censorship. Soon the parliament also stopped working.
In 1937, a constitution was adopted, according to which a regime was established in Estonia, which relied on the only permitted social and political organization, the Fatherland Union, and the paramilitary self-defense organization Defense League (Defense League). The history of the "Defense League" began in 1917-1918. as a movement "Self-defense" ("Omakaitse"), then the Estonian nationalists in the creation of their state were also guided by Germany. True, the Germans did not support the idea of Estonia's independence (the Baltic states were to become part of the Second Reich). After the evacuation of the German army at the end of 1918, the Omakaitse detachments became the basis for the formation of a new organization, the Defense League, on the basis of which the formation of the Estonian armed forces began. In 1924, Estonia was divided into districts, branches, districts and self-defense groups, which were subordinate to the Chief of Self-Defense and the Minister of War. At the end of the 1930s, the "Union of Defense", together with youth and women's units, numbered up to 100 thousand people (of which about 40 thousand were trained soldiers). The leaders of these organizations held nationalist views.
Thus, after the coup of 1934, some nationalists took over others (vaps). The new authoritarian regime actively collaborated with Nazi Berlin. In 1939, there were 160 German societies and unions in Estonia that were engaged in pro-German propaganda and agitation of the ideas of National Socialism.
Leaders of the Republic of Estonia during the last celebration of the country's independence anniversary, shortly before joining the USSR, on February 24, 1940. Left to right: General Johan Laidoner, Konstantin Päts, Prime Minister Jüri Uluots
After the establishment of Soviet military bases on the territory of Estonia on the basis of an agreement in 1939, the activists of these organizations, as well as the former Vaps Movement, began to spy on the forces of the Red Army in favor of the Reich. Subversive detachments are hastily formed in the republics. By the summer of 1941, several combat units were ready for military operations in the Soviet rear on the territory of Estonia. For example, Talpak's company, Hirvelaan's battalion (the units are named after their commanders - former officers of the Estonian army), units of Major Friedrich Kurg, Colonels Ants-Heino Kurg and Viktor Kern. Before the war, these people lived in Finland and Germany, and when Germany attacked the USSR, they were hastily transferred to the Soviet rear to activate the forces of the "fifth column".
Most of these units of the Estonian "forest brothers" consisted of servicemen of the former Estonian army, members of "Omakaitse". One of the prominent field commanders was Ants-Heino Kurg, an agent of the Abwehr. He headed the reconnaissance and sabotage group "Erna", made up of Estonian emigrants living in Finland. The saboteurs were trained by German scouts. On July 10, 1941, the first sabotage group led by Kurg was landed in the north of the Estonian SSR. After a while, other groups were landed: "Erna-A", "Erna-V", "Erna-S". They were joined by local nationalists. They were supposed to organize reconnaissance and sabotage activities in the rear of the Red Army.
In addition to the Erna group, at the end of June 1941, a reconnaissance group of Captain Kurt von Glasenapp, a Baltic German by birth, was thrown from Germany to Estonia by plane. He was supposed to organize the activities of nationalists in Võru County and establish contact with the rebels in the territory of Tartu County. Colonel V. Kern's group operated in the Pärnu region. Friedrich Kurg's detachment operated in the vicinity of Tartu. He kept in touch with J. Uluots, the last head of government of independent Estonia and the main contender for the "throne" of the new "independent" Republic of Estonia. Later F. Kurg became the commander of the "Omakaitse" detachments of the city of Tartu and the Tartu province. He signed an order for the establishment of the Tartu concentration camp.
With the outbreak of the war, the anti-Soviet underground in Estonia - mainly former members of semi-fascist and nationalist organizations, created the so-called bandit formations. "Forest brothers" and attacked small units of the Red Army, began terror against Soviet and party workers, Jews, and also committed bloody massacres of the village poor, who received land allotments from the land nationalized from landowners and kulaks (rural bourgeoisie). Also, the "forest brothers" tried to disrupt communications, communication lines, and collected intelligence data.
If before the war the “forest brothers” were hiding from arrest or mobilization into the Red Army, then as the military operations of the Great War developed, their forces increased significantly, were replenished with weapons and equipment. This led to an increase in their activity. They tried to disorganize the Soviet rear, destroyed bridges, communication lines, fired at and attacked individual units of the Red Army, militia and extermination detachments, attacked government officials, drove cattle into forests, etc.
Since July 1941, the units of "Self-Defense-Omakaitse" have been restored in Estonia. In the summer of 1941, up to 20 thousand people served in the district squads, and by the end of the year there were already more than 40 thousand - former military men, members of nationalist organizations, radical youth. "Self-defense" was built on the territorial principle: in volosts - companies, counties and cities - battalions. Estonian "forest brothers" were subordinate to the Germans. The Omakaitse was coordinated by the commander of Einsatzkommando 1A, SS Sturmbannführer M. Sandberger. In 1941, on the basis of "self-defense" detachments, the Germans created 6 Estonian security detachments, then they were reorganized into 3 eastern battalions and 1 company. Since 1942, "Self-defense" came under the control of the German Army Group "North". In 1944, on the basis of the security detachments, the Revel regiment was formed, and they took part in the new formation of the 20th Estonian SS division.
The Estonian "Self-Defense" participated in the massacres of civilians during the occupation, punitive raids, the protection of prisons and concentration camps, the hijacking of people for forced labor in the Third Reich. In the summer and autumn of 1941 alone, Estonian Nazis killed more than 12 thousand civilians and Soviet prisoners of war in Tartu. By November 1941, the chastisers conducted more than 5 thousand raids, more than 41 thousand people were arrested, and over 7 thousand people were executed on the spot. Estonian police battalions took part in punitive operations in Poland, Belarus and Russia. Punishers killed thousands of civilians.
In addition, from 1942 the German occupation authorities began to form the Estonian SS Legion. It was headed by Oberführer Franz Augsberger. In 1943, on the basis of the legion, the 3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade was formed, and in 1944 - the 20th SS Grenadier Division (1st Estonian Division). In addition, the Estonian battalion Narva operated as part of the SS Viking Panzer Division (later it was transferred to the 20th Division). The Estonian division fought in the Baltic States, was defeated and withdrawn to rebuild on German territory. The division fought in East Prussia, and as a result it was defeated in Czechoslovakia in 1945.
After the defeat of the Wehrmacht and the liberation of the Baltic states, the “forest brothers” continued fighting in Estonia. At the beginning of 1946, the anti-Soviet underground in Estonia numbered about 14-15 thousand people. By the early 1950s, the Estonian “forest brothers” were defeated.
Estonian SS volunteers on the street of a burning village in the Pskov region during an operation against partisans. 1943 year
A group of soldiers of the 20th Estonian SS Volunteer Division before the battles near Narva. March 1944
Representatives of the Prosecutor's Office of the Estonian SSR at the bodies of the dead prisoners of the Klooga concentration camp. September 1944 Source:
